By Li Yingdong and Yin Bo
CHACHOENGSAO, Thailand, Mar. 5 -- The humanitarian assistance disaster relief field training exercise (HADR FTX) as part of Exercise Cobra Gold 2020 was held at the national disaster relief training center in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand from March 1 to 4, 2020. Over 200 troops from seven countries including China, Thailand and the US participated in the drill.
The drill on March 4 simulated a typhoon and torrential rain scenario in southern Thailand, which caused secondary disasters such as severe floods, mudslides, and building collapses, as well as serious casualties and property damage. A joint military coordination center was established and multinational troops were quickly deployed to the affected areas for rescue.
Over the past few days, military members from various countries have conducted group training on events of air and ground search, water salvage, on-site medical first-aid, etc., for different types of disasters, which not only have honed their joint rescue capabilities, but also improved the cooperation on major natural disaster relief among the participating countries.
The Chinese participants were mixed with their counterparts from other countries into teams for water rescue, debris flow rescue, building collapse and fire rescue, as well as medical emergency. Their participation fully reflects China's willingness to actively join in multilateral security and defense cooperation and deepen exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.
General Chaichana Nakkerd, Deputy Chief of Defense Forces, said that coping with new disasters will no longer be the task of one institution or one country, now and in the future. All countries must join forces to deal with possible public crises.
The annual Cobra Gold joint military exercise is one of the most influential joint military exercises in Southeast Asia. The Chinese military participated in Cobra Gold for the first time in 2014.